1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a waterproof structure of a wire cover of an electrical junction box which prevents water from entering into the electrical junction box from bottom through an electric wire extending downward from the electrical junction box.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there have been proposed various wire covers for an electrical junction box. Such wire covers function to lead out an electric wire connected to a connecting portion in the electrical junction box, while protecting the electric wire from water or outside interference by covering the electric wire.
An example of such wire cover is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-320131, wherein a large-diameter electric wire is passed downward through a recess formed on a side wall of an electric junction box main body, in which an upper terminal of the electric wire is bolted to a connecting portion of the electric junction box, and a side cover, i.e. a wire cover, is slidably engaged with grooves on both sides of the recess so that the electric wire is fixed by a band on a partition wall of the side cover.
Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-41808, a large-diameter electric wire is passed downward through a recess formed on a housing of an electric junction box, a terminal of the electric wire is connected to a mating terminal in the housing a nut, the electric wire is provided with a waterproof elastic sheet arranged on a circumference of the electric wire, and a wire cover is slidably mounted to the recess of the housing. In such a manner, inside of the wire cover is made watertight with the waterproof elastic sheet.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-93882 discloses an electrical junction box having a junction box main body having a side opening and a side cover, i.e. a wire cover, in which a plurality of small-diameter electric wires are banded together and fixed to the side cover. The side cover is slidably engaged with the side opening of the junction box main body so that the electric wires are lead out of a lower portion of the side cover. The side opening is provided with a downwardly-slanted waterproof wall arranged inside the side opening, thereby preventing water from entering from bottom.
However, the conventional wire cover disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-320131 described above has a drawback that splattered water or high-pressure washing water may enter into the electrical junction box from bottom through the electric wire. Also, the conventional wire cover disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-41808 described above has a drawback that the use of the waterproof elastic sheet causes an increase in the number of components and thus increases the cost. Also, the conventional wire cover disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-93882 described above has a drawback that, since the waterproof wall is provided with a projected end which is in contact with the circumference of the electric wire, the waterproof performance is decreased if the number of the electric wires used is small.
In another conventional wire cover of an electrical junction box shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, a plurality of electric wires 62 is passed through a gutter-shaped side cover or wire cover 61 and fixed to a lower portion of the wire cover 61 using a tape 63, the wire cover 61 is slidably engaged with a junction box main body 64 with the electric wires 62 being placed medially, and the electrical junction box is mounted to a motor vehicle. In this example, there is a problem that if the number of the electric wires 62 is small, then splattered water 66 or high-pressure washing water 66 may enter into the junction box main body 64 from bottom along the electric wires 62 through a space 65 between the electric wires 62 and the junction box main body 64.